How to Get Research Experience for Application

[alinamum]

Hey everyone! I'm really looking into PsyD programs (no, not PhD) and it seems applications with some research experience fare better than those without.

Any ideas on how to gain research experience? I completed my Second Bachelors (Psychology) online in 2017 and am not currently enrolled anywhere.

Also, what are the typical hours like for a research assistant? Thank you kindly!

[Lauren210]

I recently graduated with my bachelors in psychology and I worked as a research assistant for two years for two different labs. As an RA, you typically work about 9-10 hours per week. For both labs, we had 1 lab hour dedicated to mandatory lab meetings 1 day of the week while the remaining hours you spent in the laboratory itself. Some tasks I had was entering data into the computer system on excel, typing up transcripts from observational data (i.e. recorded interviews of previous graduate assistants working with their participants), running through drafts of questionaries, running through protocol to participants, etc. For my junior year, I worked in a psychopathology lab that related to the classification, description, and measurement of personality and psychopathology. For my senior year, I worked in a lab that focused on the significance of close relationships (i.e. friendships) in the lives of children and young adolescents. Also, there was at least one graduate RA in their office who we would be able to ask for any help if needed while in the lab or notify them in regards to any of the projects we were helping them on. For the psychology department at my university, there were a variety of different labs to choose on when it came to working in and I found out about some of them through research fairs and the department website. I emailed the lab directors of the labs and expressed interest in working with them the following semester/year and they referred me to their graduate RAs when it came to the application process. After I applied, I had a short interview with one of the graduate RAs and they contacted me back in regards to deciding if I got in or not. Hopefully this helps!

[alinamum]

Wow! Great advice! Thank you so much for the wonderful response. I will definitely look into the research fairs.